Shades and Hues
by macrauchenia
Summary: A collection of single word prompts and drabbles that help bring out the "color" in the Green Lantern: TAS universe. Newest Prompt: Care [Part 2] (Or Where Atrocitus Reveals His Dark Intentions To A Prisoner)
1. Poozer

******Title of Prompt:** Poozer (Or Where Razer Asks Hal For Advice Regarding Their Friend's Favorite Word)  
**Rating****: **K  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own Green Lantern: The Animated Series or Green Lantern. It all belongs to DC comics.  
******Authors Note: **These past episodes have just been killing me. I have a ton of little plot bunnies running around in my head and I have no way of getting them out in a real story. So, I've created this: a sort of drabble dumping ground. As for this prompt itself, I've always figured Razer would get mad at Kilo for always calling him Poozer. Then I noticed that Kilowog calls E'ERYBODY a Poozer...but in different tones and with different meanings. Like I said, these prompts are popping like daisies and multiplying like rabbits.  
Please ignore this bad first chapter. That is all.

* * *

"As soon as you Poozers are ready, meet Aya and me outside. Don't know why you'd want to be cooped up on this ship." Kilowog chuckled and disappeared through the ship's automatic doors. The moment they closed, Razer growled something incoherent underneath his breath. His face was substantially darker once the Green Lantern from Bolovax Vix had left.

Hal was shocked by the Red Lantern's sudden mood change. "What'd you say, Razer?"

Razer leaned back in his chair and scowled. "I wish the Sergeant would stop calling us, me especially, by that word."

"What?" Hal blinked. He ran what Kilowog had said through his head. "Oh, you mean 'Poozer?'"

Razer's tongue ran sharply across his teeth. "Yes. I despise that word."

"Do you even know what it _means_?" Hal was still trying to understand the Red Lantern's anger at the term. It had never bothered him before.

"I am not ignorant, Green Lantern." Razer's eyes narrowed dangerously. "I am familiar with the terminology of Bolovax Vix and I know exactly what that word is referring too. If you do not, then let me inform you. It is an insult of the greatest magnitude. I do not appreciate being called that."

Recognition suddenly dawned on the face of the human. "Oh… I get it now." He suddenly smiled. "Yeah, I don't think you know what it means, Razer."

Razer crossed his arms and laughed humorlessly. "Very well. Enlighten _me_, human Hal Jordan."

"Okay, well, you see, Razer…" Hal glanced over towards the sulking Red Lantern. Clearly his orating needed some work. "The thing is that for Kilowog the word 'Poozer' has a different meaning." This finally piqued some interest within the younger Lantern. Feeling more confident, Hal continued. "You obviously know the…traditional meaning of the word. However, Kilowog has sort of changed the phrase into a," he paused again, "nicer term."

Despite his best efforts to look indifferent, Razer was clearly curious. "What does it mean then?"

Hal smiled a secret little smile. "That's something you'll have to find out for yourself." Razer's face fell back into its typical glower. "But I will tell you…" Hal was very much enjoying how he was able to make the Red Lantern's expressions change so easily. For one of the first times ever, Razer's naivety and youth was finally showing through. He reminded Hal of a questioning child. "When Kilowog was training me," Razer looked surprised; he obviously was unaware of where Hal had gotten his training, "I felt like I graduated from 'RingSlingin' 101' when he called me 'Poozer.'"

"And that time on Shard? I recall him calling those Red Lanterns 'Poozers' as well. I highly doubt he was giving them a compliment." Razer's expression changed back to suspicion again.

"That's the trick, my young Lantern." Razer bristled at the way Hal referred to him. "Sometimes Kilowog uses the, ah, traditional meaning and sometimes he uses his own, mellow version. I'm pretty sure he wasn't telling the Reds he liked their shoes at that moment." With a groan, Hal pushed himself out of his seat and stretched slowly. "As to what his version means, you gotta figure that out yourself." He wandered towards the door that led to the outside of the ship. "You comin'?"

...

Even though he knew it was a foolish endeavor, Razer decided to accept the Green Lantern's challenge and attempt to find the differences between the multiple meanings of "Poozer." For a long while, it felt as if the Red Lantern was making no progress whatsoever. He only had to be within eyesight of Kilowog to be labeled that term in a not so nice sort of sneer. Nearly everything he did seemed to elicit a sarcastic "What're ya doin', Poozer?" or something along the lines of that from the Green Lantern from Bolovax Vix. It was never the endearing phrase that Hal Jordan had mentioned. Still, Razer was nothing if not persistent.

Razer even asked the sergeant to teach him a few defense strategies, hoping the teaching environment would prompt even an accidental "Poozer." Besides, if Kilowog had been able to turn Jordan into a suitable fighter, then the older Green Lantern must have somewhat of a decent knowledge base about fighting. _How strenuous can a training session be? _The Red Lantern did not, however, anticipate having so much trouble trying to learn a few new things.

After cleaning the ground neatly by his face and pride a couple times, Razer was nearly ready to call it quits. He had even _tried _to be sociable and friendly as Jordan had suggested. Quite frankly, he was wondering why the hoggish Green Lantern was being so stubborn. Razer had also made an honest effort to learn from what Kilowog had been trying to teach him. Once he put aside his irritation for Kilowog, Razer was actually able to learn quite a good deal from the older Lantern.

However, it still wasn't helping his quest and Razer was becoming increasingly exasperated. He had yet to get an answer to his "Poozer" question.

...

The hostile forces came completely out of the blue. The four Lanterns were split up when an angry tribe attacked their ship while stopping for supplies. Razer was somehow pushed to an open, sandy field with enemies surrounding him. The Red Lantern grimaced; fighting on this terrain was not his forte. Razer had never been good with places without cover and the sand would only cause more problems if he tried to blast the creatures away. He'd clearly be more on the defensive side than offensive side during this skirmish. His overly calculating mind had already run off a list of possible scenarios. Chances were, with this horrid location accounted for, Razer would be able to hold off the massive amount of aliens with a few sustained injuries at best.

The first alien started to charge, its enormous purple tusks scuffing up dirt as it ran towards the young Lantern. Without even realizing it, Razer readied himself for the attack by falling back into a defensive pose meant for larger assailants that Kilowog had taught him only a few days earlier. Razer easily flipped the creature over, causing it to become seriously disoriented, and moved onto the next aggressor in line. Every single time an alien charged at him, Razer was able to use Kilowog's lessons and deflect the would-be-deadly blows. Soon, Razer was hovering above a massive pile of lowing beasts and had barely a scratch. He was very surprised by how well he was able to use his new training on a terrain that had once been extremely dangerous and against a large number of powerful enemies. _As much as I loathe to admit it, the Sergeant was an adequate teacher. His lessons did aide me with my fighting and kept me from harm. _Razer was about to make his way back to the ship when he heard a gruff voice above him.

"You shouldn't have kept your left side open for too long when that one was attacking. If they weren't so obsessed with looking fierce, you'd probably have a hole where your heart's supposed to be."

Razer glanced up and gritted his teeth. "You observed and you refused to come to my assistance?" He rose into the air and was floating at eye level with the Green Lantern.

Kilowog shrugged. "Would you actually want it?"

The Red Lantern looked away. "No." The two flew in silence for a moment towards the ship.

"Hey, listen, Red. Good job out there," the Green Lantern suddenly started a bit awkwardly. Clearly he either wasn't used to or he didn't enjoy giving out compliments to a Red. Razer looked over his shoulder at Kilowog. "You looked like you finally picked up that one move that you had been trying to get for a while. Still a bit too slow though." Kilowog slowed down to put emphasis on the slow part.

Razer crossed his arms and stopped midair. "Your acknowledgment is appreciated, Green Lantern. However, as much as I'd love to stay and continue to point out the flaws in my defense, we both must return to the ship." The Red Lantern flew stiffly past the Green Lantern and towards the general direction of the ship.

"Hal told me about why you've been acting so weird lately. Y'know, like you're trying to be nice?"

Razer froze in the air. "I doubt what Jordan said has any consequence to you." He tried to look as if he didn't care.

Kilowog's face suddenly morphed into somewhat of a warm smile. "Yeah, well, good job stayin' alive, kid. I think I'd miss you if something happened to you," Kilowog paused and grinned.

"So don't die or anything, Poozer."

* * *

**Yes, I quoted the Kilowog from the LA Green Lantern movie and yes, this is real life. I _told _you it was bad. The next ones will be better and actually make sense. I promise. Thanks though for reading this far. If you guys have any particular pairings/people you'd like to see in the next one or a word that you'd like to be the prompt, just drop a review. I'll get to it eventually :D  
Thank you for reading. Feedback is greatly appreceiated!**


	2. Care :Part 1:

******Title of Prompt:** Care [Part 1] (Or Where Atrocitus Reveals His Dark Intentions To A Prisoner)  
**Rating****: **T - This one is a bit dark. Lots of angst and implications.  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own Green Lantern: The Animated Series or Green Lantern. It all belongs to DC comics.  
******Authors Note: **This is actually going to be a two parter drabble. The whole thing was really long and kinda bulky so I decided to streamline it and publish it as two different chapters. It is a bit dark...but who doesn't love a little Razer angst/beating?  
Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, or alerted this story! Your kind words definitely make me feel all flaily inside. It'll be a matter of time before the Teal Lantern Corp (I dunno...what color is left?) recruits me to join their ranks of happy authors. [To Starburst22: Definitely expect a TON of Razaya fluff. Also expect a ton of Troll!Hal. I'll let you use your imagination from there :D] {To mysticalgems: I've actually never done anything M before...usually I stay away from it. But since your review practically made my face split with a crazy grin, I can't see how I can refuse writing a drabble for you. I'll see what I can come up with :)} ((To Elvenstar Imrahil: Thank you so much! This doesn't even count as your request for a Atrocitus piece. I have something delightfully...um...intriguing in the making that incorporates those two characters. Keep an eye out for it!))

* * *

"Defeating your little team of Lanterns was easier than I could have ever anticipated. Did you ever think you could bring down," Atrocitus lifted a scarred hand and slowly cut through the thick air, "the great Red Lantern Army?" A limp body was suspended in the corner of his private study. It was relatively unresponsive.

The leader of the Red Lantern Corp turned towards his prisoner. His walk towards his Lantern prisoner was partially gloating and partially menacing. The terrifying combination caused the captured Lantern to lower his eyes and glance away. Every word that Atrocitus said should have burned his ears, but he was just too downtrodden to care anymore. Ever since he and his allies were defeated by the Red Lanterns, he didn't even care about life and death.

"Did you honestly believe you could be a hero? Did you think that you could be _better_ than all of the others?" Atrocitus was only a few feet away from the restrained man. He analyzed his prisoner and almost appeared disappointed by the lack of reaction.

"You seem quiet, Razer."

For the first time, the prisoner finally showed a faint sign of life at being called by his name. Sullen eyes glanced up briefly. No more fight was shining in the dull, blue irises. Pleased by the reaction, the leader of the Red Lantern Corp continued.

"Are you quiet because you mourn the death of your friends?" A heavy silence crushed Razer's lungs and he couldn't seem to breathe. He refused to give his former master the satisfaction of seeing him so broken. Instead of answering Atrocitus, he glared weakly at a random spot in space. His silence betrayed him; Atrocitus knew exactly how Razer felt.

"I wish you would speak, Razer. It is not very satisfying when I am talking to myself. I plan on keeping you here for a while, so it would be in both of our best interests for you to be a bit more responsive."

Razer suddenly growled weakly in the back of his throat and glared at his captor. "I am not your slave; I am not bound by your will."

Atrocitus traced a gnarled finger along the bottom of Razer's jawbone. The captured hero tried to jerk his head away, a disgusted look on his face. "I believe I am in control of you, Razer."

"You have no control over me," Razer repeated. If he could get Atrocitus angry enough, perhaps the powerful Red Lantern would soon put him out of his misery. If Atrocitus refused to kill him, there was always Plan B. Razer wouldn't have to live in this misery much longer.

Atrocitus' face lifted into a dark smirk. "I also can control whether you live or die." Razer was silent, quietly gloating in his small, pathetic victory. Atrocitus would control nothing. _Razer_ would choose when he was to die.

"I know about the little trick your race has."

_No…_

"I know that you can force yourself to generate toxins within your own body." Atrocitus examined his prisoner's face thoughtfully. "A defense mechanism that could lead to a relatively quick death. An interesting ability when it comes to survival, I think. I've already injected you with my own concoction that renders the poisons useless. They'll cause you pain, after all," Atrocitus paused, "you do deserve to be punished, but you won't die." Razer was still staring at the monster with a look of complete shock. His mouth was parted slightly in a surprised "oh."

"How did I know? You aren't the first one of your race that I have encountered, Razer. I had to have test subjects. _She_ provided me with a lot of information about you." It was easy to figure out who he was referencing to. Pain and anger flashed through Razer's dull eyes before disappearing without a trace. It hurt too much to fight for long. Brought back too many memories. Atrocitus reached out again and lightly rested a finger on one of Razer's strange markings. "I take it that these are the toxin generators?" Razer refused to speak. Atrocitus dug a sharp fingernail into Razer's skin until the prisoner cried out softly. A yellowish red puss that was once a formidable poison dribbled out slightly from the nick. The Red Lantern's triumphant smirk grew wider.

"I hope you understand now, Razer, how futile attempts to defy me will be. I am Lord Artocitus, your master. You _will_ obey me."

Razer continued to fight his unavoidable fate. "I will not!" He would have spat if there was anything in his mouth to spit. "You shall have to destroy me before I would ever obey you."

"It won't be _you_ who I destroy. Know this, Razer. Your friends are not dead." Razer's eyes darted to Atrocitus' face. A little whoosh of air escaped through his lips and he felt a slight trace of hope bubble into his chance. He made sure to squash it immediately; hope was the infernal emotion that kept him trapped in this inescapable hell.

"Th-they aren't d-dead?" The Red Lantern's voice crackled from surprise and the lack of fluids. During the assault that resulted in his capture, Razer was soon incapacitated and could not remember much. He just assumed that Atrocitus had already taken out his rage on the Green Lanterns. It was only a matter of moments before he too joined them in death, he believed.

"No, they aren't. Not _yet_." Atrocitus smirked a disgustingly sweet smirk. "I'm careful with my prisoners, Razer. They don't die until I want them to." He traced the markings on Razer's face again, circling around the small wound.

The former Red Lantern suppressed a shudder and looked back down at the ground. He had to be careful and couldn't let himself be overwhelmed by hope. His acquaintances may not have been dead at that moment, but Atrocitus' mind could change on a whim.

"I can dismantle that robot and break it into a hundred pieces with ease…and delight." Atrocitus' voice swirled in Razer's ear. The younger Red Lantern had no clue that Atrocitus had gotten so close to him. "The oafish Green Lantern will not stand long against the power of my rage…or my might. The human Lantern will be most pleasing to break. I will make him regret his arrogance and truly fear my anger." A red glow burned around the older Red Lantern and Razer felt the heat of Atrocitus' aura searing his skin. "Death is an unpleasant option for your allies, Razer, if you do not give me what I want."

The Red Lantern didn't understand what Atrocitus was getting at. "I do n—"

"You will remain here and be complacent; you will do as I command."

Razer's restrained fists clenched themselves very tightly. He wanted to scream, to fight, to kill Atrocitus, to die. But he couldn't. Not if he wanted to keep his friends alive. All of the fight and hope that Atrocitus had so precariously built within him left with a rush and his body went limp. Razer sluggishly closed his eyes, unable to look his new master in the eyes.

"Yes…Master."

* * *

**Ja? Na? Fa? (Do Re Mi...) Ahem. I wonder how you guys feel about my little explanation for Razer's face markings. Non canon since I don't even know _what_ Razer is. Just a thought, though. Anyway, feedback, like always, is greatly appreciated! :D  
(On another completely unrelated note ((but not a _musical _note xD -shot-)), _I THINK SAINT WALKER IS GETTING HIS RING-Y TOMORROW/TODAY, GUYS!_ Sorry for yelling, but he seriously is one of the coolest characters _ever_.)**


	3. Instead

******Title of Prompt:** Instead (Or Where Razer Decides To Stay On The Ship Instead)  
**Rating****: **T - This one is dark too. What the heck is wrong with me? Oh, and character death(s) in this too.  
**Timeframe/Information About This Drabble**: One variation of what happened at the end of Invasion.  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own Green Lantern: The Animated Series or Green Lantern. It all belongs to DC comics.  
******Authors Note: **I swear I'll write a drabble some day that is nice and cheery and does not involved Razer getting the snot beat out of him. But not today. Not today.  
A great big thanks to everyone who has reviewed or favorited this so far. You guys rock! [To Elvenstar Imrahil: That weird croaking thing you just described? Totally happened to me when I read your review. Thanks for giving me one of the best reviews ever! :D]

* * *

Razer knew it was going to be hard. He knew he was going to have to make a tough choice. Razer half hoped that the leader of the Red Lanterns and that infernal Zilius Zox were crushed within the caved in path through the Lighthouse because then his life would be at peace.

But Atrocitus could not simply accept his fate and be crushed by the debris field. He had to fight to get out. As much as Razer loathed the Red Lantern and his former corps, he would always be impressed by their stubborn determination to stay alive. Perhaps it was just a Lantern thing in general. Regardless, Razer now had a choice to make. He could either go with the Green Lanterns to investigate the damaged Red Lantern ship or stay onboard with Aya. Both choices had their potential consequences and both had their reward. If Razer went with the male Lanterns, there was a good chance they would find a gravely weakened Atrocitus. Ever since their last encounter, Razer's head swam in fury every time he thought about the monster and what he did. The young Red Lantern knew that Atrocitus' presence would severely compromise his self-control. Razer didn't want to do anything that he would regret, although the monster deserved worst fates than death. Because of his time with the Green Lanterns, Razer had learned so much more about right and wrong, and it infuriated him that he could no longer exact his revenge upon the murderer of his precious Illana. He knew he would have no closure until the Red Lantern was dead, but he couldn't kill him himself.

So, instead, Razer decided to stay onboard the _Interceptor_ with Aya. He decided to play it safe.

He watched with solemn eyes as two green streaks flew to the smoking ship. He didn't know what he wanted them to return with. Razer turned from the wide window and walked slowly towards the dark hallway. The _Interceptor _was dark for some reason. He assumed it was Aya either making repairs from their latest escape from the Lighthouse or preparing the ship for their return trip to Oa. For whatever reason, Aya was nowhere in sight. This struck Razer as odd, for the fact that Aya herself was a green, glowing computer and she should have been visible in the dark ship. However, he didn't really care that much. He wanted to be alone, anyway.

All of a sudden the _Interceptor_ shuddered and nearly knocked Razer off of his feet. Clenching his ring hand into a tight fist, he walked slowly towards the bay. "Aya?"

The Artificial Intelligence's voice sounded different. Instead of its usual warm, inquisitive tone, it sounded tinny and very much unlike Aya. "Yes, Razer?"

Razer found the computer standing beside the heavy door that led to the outside. Apart from her dull green glow, which was much duller than usual, Razer's ring was the only thing that produced light. It lit up the barely furnished room with an eerie red glow. It looked empty until—

There! A shadow shifted in the corner of his eye. "Reveal yourselves or I shall bl—aahh!"

Razer's threat broke down into a cry of pain. As he had raised his ring to destroy the intruder, something cold and sharp had slipped into him. He looked down in wordless shock and saw a filed piece of shrapnel lodged within his stomach.

"Not quite a beheading, but it's close enough. Don't you think so, Razer?" There was no response from the rogue Red Lantern. Zilius Zox laughed harshly as he twisted the makeshift blade deeper into Razer's gut. A rattling, harsh groan was ripped from the Red Lantern's throat as he slid off of the weapon and hit the floor with a thud. With a hand pressed to the hole in his stomach, Razer weakly propped himself up on his other elbow. His drooping eyes took in everything around him and he felt worse by tenfold.

The same technician that had hijacked Aya back on Mogo was back and her device was strapped onto Aya. It obviously was a modified version since the AI was still functional, but under complete control. Zilius was cackling beside Razer, the foul sound actually causing physical pain to Razer's ears. And then, out of the shadows, appeared Atrocitus. Razer growled at the older Red Lantern and tried to struggle to his feet. He only managed to accomplish a feeble attempt that, with a swift kick courtesy of Zilius, sent Razer back into a shapeless pile on the cold floor. Razer had a funny taste in his mouth, but ignored it as he tried to get to Aya to tear off the controlling device.

Understanding his goal, Atrocitus instructed the two guards that had come along with him to halt the Red Lantern's progress towards the AI. The armor-clad guards grabbed either upper arm of Atrocitus' new prisoner and dragged him to the front of the ship. The rest of the Red Lantern force and Aya followed behind like a funeral procession. The guards dumped Razer unceremoniously by the window. Razer was too weak by now to do much but cringe.

"I suggest you sit up, Razer. I believe you may want to watch this." Atrocitus' tone was triumphant. He had already won. Razer suddenly felt as if the cold piece of metal was still lodged within him. Atrocitus knew something that he didn't know, and whatever it was, it was bad. With darkness boarding on the edge of his vision, Razer glanced back at the disabled Red Lantern ship. In a flash of fire, light, and sound, the ship was gone. Bits of debris flew everywhere and Razer searched desperately through the smoke, trying to find the haze of a green construct.

Immediately afterwards, he wished he hadn't looked. Two glowing emerald orbs rose in the air and sped across the window, trails of green racing to catch up. The hole in Razer's stomach seemed to grow larger. He knew what was going on. He had seen this many times during his time as a "faithful" Red Lantern. Of course Atrocitus had rigged the ship to explode. He had actually done this several times with Zilius to trap guileless Green Lanterns. He cursed himself. If he had been with the Green Lanterns, he might have been able to notice the bomb. He might've been able to save them. Guilt twisted painfully within him and now Razer was certain it was causing his wound to grow.

He had been so absorbed in the deaths of the former Green Lanterns that he had completely missed the fact that Atrocitus was talking amongst his new crew. He seemed distracted enough for Razer to try one more time to free Aya. The injured Lantern looked back at Aya, hoping to find a way to break the device or break her hold. She was staring straight at him, her palm raised and glowing.

"I apologize, Red Lantern Razer, but your death is necessary for the existence of the just cause of Lord Atrocitus." Aya's voice was still flat. Although she apologized and appeared to be the AI, Razer knew the real Aya was no longer there.

Razer glanced up into the dull blue eyes. He was right; there was no light there. He was struggling to stay awake now. He could see Atrocitus' mouth moving but he couldn't quite hear what he was saying. From the angry expression on his face, Atrocitus was obviously trying to get him to hear him. Razer continued to slip into his dragging state. There seemed no point of trying to stay awake anymore anyways.

Suddenly, a flash of green. A blossom of white pain across his chest. A cool numbness. A fleeting thought.

_ What would have happened if I left the ship instead?_

And then there was no more.

* * *

**You got to admit, Razer probably saved the day by going with Hal and Killy to the Red ship.  
I swear, happy fics are on the way. I'm finishing up a couple friendship and romance (WHAAOOAAO) fics at this moment :D Thanks for reading and please tell me if you liked it!**


	4. Greed

**Title of Prompt:** Greed (or Where Atrocitus Has A Very Hopeful Visitor Who Questions His Morals)  
**Rating: **K  
**Timeframe/Information About This Drabble**: I started working on this (and by that I mean I wrote two lines) back before Saint Walker even got his ring. I guess this is just a bit of an AUish converstation. I don't know. I guess I just imagined all of the Lantern leaders knowing each other and complaining to each other. Just hang with me and throw continuity out the window, kay?  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own Green Lantern: The Animated Series or Green Lantern. It all belongs to DC comics.  
**Authors Note: **This drabble is for **Elvenstar Imrahil** who gives me the best reviews ever for my GL:TAS stuff and wanted some Atrocitus "or" Saint Walker, but I decided to throw them both in :D Hopefully you like it and thanks again!

* * *

"Are you a Red Lantern or an Orange Lantern?"

Slightly startled (although Lord Atrocitus, destroyer of worlds, would never admit to being frightened), the leader of the Red Lantern Corps spun around to face the corner where the voice had come from. Without even pausing to think, he blasted two powerful bursts of red rage at the darkness. Much to his distaste, the blood red light was absorbed by a soft, blue glow.

Atrocitus' scarred lips lifted into a one-sided sneer. "Saint Walker."

The Blue Lantern did not reveal himself, but instead he posed his question again. "Are you a Red Lantern or an Orange Lantern?"

Now Atrocitus was full on glowering at the dark corner and the seemingly floating voice. "What are you muttering about, you weak, pitying creature?"

Saint Walker now stepped into the light, a soft blue glow causing his feature to be faintly blurry. "Why do you hold on so firmly to the boy?"

"How does it involve you?" Atrocitus growled.

The Blue Lantern seemed to chuckle. "The fate of the universe involves us all, my raging brother. And it is our duty to keep it balanced."

"We are _not _related. My world is dead—they were slaughtered by self-righteous _Lanterns._" Atrocitus glared. "How is that for _balanced_," he sneered.

In a remarkably level tone for the circumstances, Saint Walker merely replied with a lazy blink that Atrocitus wasn't the only one to have his world destroyed by a ring bearer.

This reminder caused the corners of Atrocitus's lips to flit maliciously upwards. "Ah, yes, how could I have forgotten about Astonia?" Instead of showing any anger, Saint Walker's face simply took on a fiercely determined stare. "I destroyed your world—and yet you were too weak to feel any rage. Pity."

"No, brother, I was stronger than your rage," he said after a weary pause. There was another beat of heavy silence before Saint Walker's eyes focused intently on Atrocitus.

"Why do you hold onto the boy?"

Atrocitus's yellow orbs narrowed dangerously. "Whoever you are blabbering about—"

Saint Walker sighed patiently, as if he was dealing with a stubborn child. "Brother, you know who I am speaking of. Razer, who has far too much rage in his heart for someone so young." The hopeful Lantern's face took on a sad, faded look for a brief moment before flashing back to his determined stare.

Atrocitus's scarred lips curled back into a gleeful grimace. He had a feeling this interruption was about that traitor. "Razer is a Red Lantern. His life is no concern of yours, _Blue _Lantern. He belongs to _me."_

Saint Walker tilted his head again, studying his opponent carefully with his large, shiny black eyes. Atrocitus lowered his glower to match the thinner being's unnerving stare with an equally powerful glare of hate.

"You are more like Larfleeze than you think, brother."

"You _dare_ to compare me to that in—?!"

Saint Walker continued talking as if Atrocitus's violent disruption never happened. "Orange is merely a combination of red and yellow—rage and fear."

Atrocitus's ring hand curled into a hard fist. He glanced down at his smooth power ring and noticed with a hint of distaste that it was pulsing weakly. Either Saint Walker's presence or of the growing pit in his stomach was causing his power to lose its potency.

Saint Walker laced his fingers together, taking in Atrocitus's every flinch and fidget with his wide, unblinking eyes.

"Do you doubt what I say?"

Atrocitus's head surged back up to meet the Blue Lantern's calm gaze. "I believe you are weak and a fool for what you say," he growled. "I care little for what happens to the traitor. If the one who _gave_ him his ring does not even care, then Razer is especially no concern to you."

"If you are speaking the truth, brother, then why will you not let him free?"

"He deserves to be punished," was Atrocitus's terse reply.

"I fear you are as selfish as Larfleeze when it comes to your Lanterns," Saint Walker mused softly with a half-smile. "You refuse to let them go, even when they no longer feel rage."

A low, crackling echo filled the small room, causing even Saint Walker's lips to twitch downwards. Atrocitus's chest was heaving slightly with his deep chuckles. "You think the boy has no more rage? I _created_ him so that he will never not feel something brewing deep down within him. You do not know him as well as you _think,_ _brother_," he sneered, "if you believe that Razer will someday be purged of his rage.

Setting his face in a determined frown, the Blue Lantern's sharp eyes matched Atrocitus's crinkled glare. "Do not be so quick to assume. There is something in him that neither of us has seen. It is my hope that som—"

"Your _hope_," Atrocitus sneered with another malicious smirk. "I keep forgetting that you rely on such a weak, flickering emotion." He paused for a second, and then his smirk grew broader. "Very well, Saint Walker. I'll play 'fair.'" The Blue Lantern said nothing, only staring warily at the raging monster across the room from him. "You can have Razer when he's completely free of rage—and every other feeling that a _corpse_ no longer feels. When the boy is dead, I will gladly relinquish his body," Atrocitus swept his hand in front of him and make a slight bend of his shoulders so that it looked like he was mockingly bowing to Saint Walker.

"We shall see, brother," Saint Walker's steely, disembodied voice came from another corner in the room. No longer could Atrocitus see the shimmer of blue. Feeling his ring surge back with rage and power, he directed a particularly powerful blast of power at the corner where Saint Walker once was, completely obliterating the wall behind it. He grimaced darkly when he did not hear the telltale cry of pain, nor when he saw the blue flicker elsewhere to indicate Saint Walker's presence. For such a blatantly infuriating and obvious creature, the Blue Lantern was remarkably adept at disappearing without a trace.

Lowering his pulsing ring and releasing a deep, pent up breath that he had been holding since he heard the weak creature's jabbering, Atrocitus absently went over to the corner to inspect the damage caused by his rage. Internally, his conversation with Saint Walker was still reeling in his head, refusing to let the Red Lantern's nerves calm down.

He realized with a satisfied start that he never did actually answer that pesky Blue Lanterns as to why he held onto Razer so tightly. His lip curled into a relieved sneer.

_Good. That will leave him wondering._

* * *

**Thanks for reading! And reviewing! (please...?) And Favoriting! And Following! And just being awesome Fanterns!  
**(Oh, and to mysticalgems - a Creepy!Hal/Razer story is coming up soon. Hopefully you'll like it :D I simply couldn't ignore a request when you offered me so much chocolate xD)

(Hey, pssst, everyone else! I would be honored if you guys could check out my latest vid about an AUish version of Prisoner of Sinestro (dat episode *.*). It features Murderous!Sinestro and poor, poor Razer. **/watch?v=Vf5KT2OcyEU **)


	5. Care :Part Two:

**Title of Prompt:** Care [Part 2] (Or Where Atrocitus Reveals His Dark Intentions To A Prisoner)  
**Rating: **T - This one is dark. Lots of angst and implications.  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own Green Lantern: The Animated Series or Green Lantern. It all belongs to DC comics.  
**Authors Note: **Oh, God. What have I done...? The eagerly awaited sequel to Care. The producers give us our first happy episode since forever, and I create this twisted monster. Pleasedon'thateme! **Sorry for spamming you with "ghost updates." That's FF messing it up, not me ^^ Or at least I hope it isn't me! Hopefully this works. **

* * *

Razer had already realized that hell would last for eternity. He knew he couldn't have been under Atrocitus's control for more than three Earth weeks, but the agonizing pain and humiliation that Atrocitus put him through every day only made every moment drag onto forever. To make matters worse, Atrocitus's foul, malicious smirk was the only thing that graced his vision day in and day out. The leader of the Red Lantern Corps refused to allow any guards in his confined prison—wisely remembering the previously successful rescue attempt by the Green Lanterns. Instead, Lord Atrocitus preferred to make Razer beg for every bite of food or every sip of stale water, hand feeding the young man if necessary when his wounds were too severe. If Razer refused to eat—trying to starve himself for the fourth time or so—Atrocitus would only have to mention the grisly, horrible future fates of his friends, and Razer would dutifully choke down another piece of whatever trash they were feeding him.

When Atrocitus wasn't forcing food down his throat, he was doing something more horrendous. First it started with the beatings. Right after his capture, Atrocitus wanted to be quite clear in expressing to the other Lanterns the punishment for the ultimate dissenter. Razer was certain that images of his bruised and bloody face and body hung on almost every wall, though it wasn't possible for him to leave his cell to check. After one of Atrocitus's punishment sessions had too been harsh on the shell of Razer, resulting in multiple shattered bones, Atrocitus resorted to more internal scarring. The poison, by this time, had already begun to take its effect on the poor young man. Like Atrocitus promised, Razer was forced to remain among the land of the living, but the pain was excruciating. As the acid sluggishly traveled from his scarred face through his bloodstream, Razer would suppress screams as the fire seared his veins. Somehow Atrocitus always knew when the poison would cause another relapse, because he seemed to be present at the most unbearable moments, hissing cruel words like daggers into Razer's ear. The first time this happened to him, the combined mental and physical anguish caused the young Lantern to spiral into sweet unconsciousness—but not for long. The moment Razer was awake, Atrocitus had already devised a new torture to make the dissenter "stronger."

The moments Razer was finally free of Atrocitus were no better. The lasting glow of pain caused his mind to be constantly foggy, only allowing the broken memories that Atrocitus never let him forget to swirl in his mind. He was also left with a single horrible question. _Are the others still alive? _Even when he was being tortured in every way possible by Atrocitus, Razer still felt the need to be _better. _To be almost like a _hero. _He felt like he could weather whatever storm Atrocitus put him through, only if it caused his friends to be spared. But if Atrocitus was lying, terrible thoughts like these plagued the boy's nightmares constantly, and his friends were dead, then he was suffering for nothing. There was no way to know for sure, and Razer had a feeling that Atrocitus relished this extra power over his slave.

Then Atrocitus presented his proposition.

* * *

Hal wasn't sure how long he and the others had been rotting in the dungeon cells, but he was certain he had missed his date with Carol by a couple of weeks. Hal glanced to his right at a fitfully sleeping Kilowog and a semi-comatose Aya. Instead of removing their rings, Atrocitus preferred to have his prisoners suffer the ultimate defeat—humiliation. They still had their rings and they still had each other—minus a certain angry kid—but they were trapped within a cage built of solid yellow rock. How Atrocitus was able to attain such a quantity of the poisonous stone was beyond the human Lantern, but he was painfully aware of how dire the consequences were. Composed entirely of will power energy, Aya had slipped immediately into an unresponsive hibernation state, and the other two organic Green Lanterns were not fairing much better.

Hal suppressed a sigh, closed his eyes, and rubbed his pulsing forehead. The rocks were making it hard to think, much less remember what events had led to their discovery and capture. He vaguely remembered it as a surprise attack that struck viciously and quickly without warning. For some reason, Razer and he had been on the outside of the ship performing maintenance. The former had been the first one attacked, unconscious or worse before his prone body hit the smooth side of the Interceptor. Hal gritted his teeth, taking a shaky breath. He had been too preoccupied with trying to save the ship to actually check on Razer. The human had no clue if the Red managed to escape or was captured. The kid wasn't with them, and that wasn't a good sign.

Distant, yet familiar voices sounded at the door. Hal pulled himself from his regretful thoughts and straightened up. Beside him, Kilowog also sat up, unable to ever return to a deeper sleep since their capture. "_Atrocitus," _Hal mouthed to the Bolavaxian. Kilowog nodded as the heavy sounds of the Red Lantern Leader echoed through the glowing, yellow prison. The loud sound completely drowned out the weaker shuffle of Atrocitus's companion, but when the young man stepped into the sickly light, he earned a more startled greeting.

Hal's eyes widened as he took in the sight of the beaten and bloody Red Lantern. Deep shadows were like permanent stains under the boy's dull, lifeless eyes. Large, aggressive bruises were painted across all patches of visible skin, although the worst of them were spread out across the young man's gaunt, pale face. His dark markings stood out like obsidian against his scarred alabaster cheeks. If Hal squinted, he could see crusty bits of amber on Razer's markings; he didn't even _want _to know what that was. The former Red Lantern's posture was slumped—not in rebellion, but in total submission and defeat. Razer clearly favored his left side, his right arm hanging loosely by his slightly arched ribcage. It looked as if there were several bones on their way to being poorly healed.

_"Razer?"_

_"Kid?" _Beside him, Kilowog was equally horrified at the fate of their Red Lantern. Like Hal, he had almost hoped that the kid was dead or had escaped. But this was more hideous than anything the older soldier could have imagined.

Upon seeing his friends, Hal noted a brief spark in the young man's eyes just before it was savagely stamped out. The former Red Lantern was apparently just as surprised to see them alive as the Green Lanterns were to see him.

"What has he _done _to you, Razer?" Hal grounded out through gritted teeth. He tried to pull himself through the bars towards the smirking Atrocitus, ignoring the painful sparks the yellow bars were shooting into his trembling palms.

Razer didn't answer, only swallowing painful. The rotten smirk that had been on Atrocitus's crooked mouth tilted upwards into a deeper smile. "Go ahead, Razer. Tell them."

The young man hesitated for a moment before looking up. He stared at everywhere except for the two conscious Green Lanterns. "I am no longer a part of your _team,_" Razer started. Hal winced at the voice. It was raspy and dead, possessing none of the cynical humor that the kid's tone usually had. "For the rest of my life," he paused to swallow, "I shall serve my master,"—Razer's voice hitched painfully as if he were choking back something, but couldn't let it out—"Atrocitus."

Hal frowned. "Razer, I'm not su—"

The young man's voice cracked once, and then got a little bit louder. "My merciful master had kindly agreed to allow you to leave if you swear to never return." One of Atrocitus's gristly hands landed heavily around the back of Razer's neck, causing the boy to shudder violently. The hairs on the back of Hal's neck bristled sharply.

"_Atrocitus,_" Hal hissed, feeling more rage than he had ever felt well up in his gut. "So help me, If you touch him one more time, I wi—"

"I strongly suggest you accept his generous offer," Razer interrupted in a firm whisper. He glanced up to meet the narrowed white slits in Hal's emerald domino mask. The boy's normally dull eyes were curiously bright, but Hal couldn't figure out why. "_Please_," he pleaded in such a strangled whisper that the single word nearly shattered the human's heart.

Hal's eyelets widened as he felt the fight leave his own body. He was vaguely aware of Kilowog's slow nod and a muffled "we accept."

Razer mirrored the nod with a slight bounce of his head. He released a shuddering breath, opening his mouth to most likely say goodbye.

However, Atrocitus prevented his prisoners from having even that last comfort. He barked an order to the guards, who responded by jamming their electrode staffs in-between the narrow, glowing bars.

"_No!"_

But it was too late—the two prisoners were already unconscious on the cold, stone floor.

Atrocitus's hard fist swung, catching Razer on the side of the face. Without even a cry, the boy collapsed onto his hands and knees, scrambling feebly to get back up. Pressing an overpowering boot down on Razer's back and shoving the young man back to the hard floor, Atrocitus leaned forward with a sickly sweet smile.

"For their sakes, let's hope that they heed your request." The boot dug sharper into Razer's bruised back, ripping a whimper of pain from the abused young man. "Now," Atrocitus paused, savoring the sight of the trembling form beneath his foot, "it's time you kept your side of the bargain."

* * *

**Part 3...? I am so sorry. **


End file.
